Vietnam's Dragon Bridge Actually Breathes Out Fire!

Though bridge designs have come a long way since humans began using fallen tree trunks or stones to get across stretches of water, they have until now been boring inert structures. That however changed on March 29th, 2013, with the unveiling of Vietnam's Dragon bridge. It not only resembles the legendary mythical creature, but also, acts like it, by breathing out fire!

Located in the city of Da Nang, the steel structure spans a total of 666 meters (2,185 feet) in length and 37.4 meters (122.70 feet) in width. On the side lies the 128 meter (420 feet) creation that resembles the Ly Dragon, a creature believed by locals to bring good fortune. The coolest part is that on special occasions, the dragon head, which is lit up with 2,500 LED lights, can be switched on to shoot out not just fire, but also, water!

Designed by U.S. based Louis Berger Group, the spectacular bridge that has been under construction since 2009, cost a whopping 1.7 trillion Vietnamese dong ($81.6 mm USD). Commissioned to celebrate the 38th anniversary of the city's liberation during the final days of the country's war with the US, the bridge connects the Da Nang International airport to the area's most popular beaches.

If that is not impressive enough, on the same morning, the city also inaugurated another cool-looking bridge - The sail shaped 731 meter (2,398 feet) long Tran Thi Ly bridge. Built over the Han river, this 1.7 trillion ($81.6 mm USD) Vietnamese dong investment connects the downtown area with the most popular coastal districts - Fortunately in this case, the bridge does not sail away!

Resources: wtkr.com,english.vietnmam.vn, globalpost.com